ISSUE

Spring 2015

Race and Reporting

The news industry has been talking about diversity for decades, but that talk has not always been followed by action. Though the percentage of minorities in the U.S. population continues to climb, few newsrooms have a racial makeup that reflects the communities they cover. In the Nieman Reports cover package, reporters and editors discuss strategies for creating more inclusive newsrooms and how racially diverse staffs can improve coverage.

Download PDF

Articles

How Netflix Flipped the Script on Television's Disruption
Books

How Netflix Flipped the Script on Television’s Disruption

In “Television Is the New Television,” media critic Michael Wolff argues TV is disrupting the Internet much more than the other way around
Michael Wolff
June 15, 2015
Public Radio and the Sound of America
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Public Radio and the Sound of America

Broadcasters are trying to shake off "public radio voice" and bring more variety to the airwaves
Adriana Gallardo
June 11, 2015
Why Journalists Must Stop Segregating Stories About Race
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Why Journalists Must Stop Segregating Stories About Race

Race, culture, and poverty deserve to be covered in the same way as the weather, sports, and the stock market
Eric Deggans
June 11, 2015
Is Solutions Journalism the Solution?
Diversity in Journalism Features

Is Solutions Journalism the Solution?

New media ventures are focusing on what’s going right in the world rather than what’s going wrong
John Dyer
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Mainstream Media Needs More Native American Journalists

The president of the Native American Journalist Association says newsrooms need to invest in developing talent
Mary Hudetz
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Diversity Can Bring Communities Together

The editor of a daily newspaper partnered with community organizations to bring readers together
Karen Magnuson
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Having a Diverse Newsroom Makes Coverage Mainstream

BuzzFeed's editor of Latino coverage on the advantages of having a variety of backgrounds in the newsroom
Adrian Carrasquillo
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Journalists Must Train Their Brains to See Beyond Stereotypes

A Chicago Tribune columnist considers journalists’ complicity in skewed perceptions of communities of color
Dawn Turner
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Newsrooms Need to Engage if They Want to See Real Change

The Washington Post's law-enforcement and justice reporter believes newsroom diversity is a journalistic imperative
Wesley Lowery
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Enhancing Newsroom Diversity Can Also Expand Audiences

Southern California Public Radio added more journalists of color to its reporting—and doubled its Latino listenership
Ashley Alvarado
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Tribalism as a Spur to Newsroom Diversity

How mentoring, networks, fellowships and internships can help journalists of color
Joshunda Sanders
June 11, 2015
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

If Truth and Credibility Matter, So Must Newsroom Diversity

The Philadelphia Inquirer's managing editor argues that newspapers best engage audiences when staff look like the community
Sandra Clark
June 11, 2015
Capturing Quiet Acts of Resistance
Diversity Diversity in Journalism Visual Journalism

Capturing Quiet Acts of Resistance

Documenting the lives of black fathers in America, from Brooklyn to Ferguson
Zun Lee
June 11, 2015
Making Black Lives Matter in the News
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Making Black Lives Matter in the News

Can a dedicated black beat help change the portrayal of African-Americans?
Susan Smith Richardson
June 10, 2015
Why Newsroom Diversity Works
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Why Newsroom Diversity Works

Effective strategies for making newsrooms more inclusive
Alicia W. Stewart
June 10, 2015
Risky, Important Conversations About Diversity in Our Newsrooms
Diversity in Journalism From the Curator

Risky, Important Conversations About Diversity in Our Newsrooms

When it comes to issues of race and reporting, soul-searching by journalists is imperative
Ann Marie Lipinski
June 10, 2015
Confronting Racism in the Age of Obama
Diversity Diversity in Journalism

Confronting Racism in the Age of Obama

After America elected its first black president, an African-American newspaper columnist found himself forced to defend his work
Issac J. Bailey
June 10, 2015
When Is it Ethical to Publish Stolen Data?
Watchdog

When Is it Ethical to Publish Stolen Data?

From the Pentagon Papers to Hollywood e-mails, reporters and editors face complex decisions when it comes to reporting on information from hackers and leakers
Helen Lewis
June 1, 2015
Tom Witosky, NF ’92, collaborated with another veteran sportswriter to chronicle the battle over same-sex marriage
Niemans @ Work

Tom Witosky, NF ’92, collaborated with another veteran sportswriter to chronicle the battle over same-sex marriage

The journey to write “Equal Before the Law: How Iowa Led Americans to Marriage Equality” began April 3, 2009, when the Iowa Supreme Court granted gays and lesbians the right…
Tom Witosky
May 27, 2015
Niemans @ Work

Alison MacAdam, NF ’14, helps NPR colleagues develop and share storytelling techniques

For 11 years, I worked somewhere famous.Now, I work somewhere virtually unknown.In January, I left “All Things Considered” (“ATC”)—seven months since my Nieman fellowship ended—to create a position at NPR’s…
Alison MacAdam
May 19, 2015
Richard Tofel on ProPublica's Mission-Driven Approach to Investigative Reporting
Live @ Lippmann

Richard Tofel on ProPublica’s Mission-Driven Approach to Investigative Reporting

The nonprofit investigative news organization's president discusses sustainable journalism, news partnerships, and measuring impact
Richard Tofel
May 14, 2015
Sounding

Hooked on the Power of Sound

A public radio news director recounts his long history with audio storytelling, from the kitchen radio to the podcast feed
Gabe Bullard
May 11, 2015
Greg Marinovich, NF ’14, joins with fellow photographers to showcase more of the images they create
Niemans @ Work

Greg Marinovich, NF ’14, joins with fellow photographers to showcase more of the images they create

A couple years ago, just as I was starting my Nieman year, the “War/Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath” exhibit curated by Anne Wilkes Tucker of the Museum…
Greg Marinovich
May 4, 2015